Officials in Kochi, India, recently celebrated the commissioning of a newly constructed slipway cradle in the city, which expands its vessel-docking and maintenance capabilities.
The Union Minister of State Affairs for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying George Kurian commissioned the facility on 8 October. Built at a cost of INR 17.8 million (USD 200,000, EUR 172,000) by government agency Fishery Survey of India (FSI), the new vessel cradle has a capacity of 250 metric tons and will be capable of supporting maintenance for research vessels and fishermen’s boats, officials said.
According to a release from the FSI, the new slipway cradle is the largest government-owned vessel cradle ever established in the country.
“The facility will benefit fishers, multiple government agencies, and other stakeholders in the marine sector,” Kurian said at the inaugural ceremony of the cradle.
Kurian added that the new facility will help support the government’s efforts and allow for uninterrupted marine research operations – allowing it to perform more stock surveys and ecosystem monitoring for the city’s fisheries. He also highlighted the work being done in India under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), a government scheme designed to promote ecological balance and the economic viability of the country’s fisheries and aquaculture to “bring about the Blue Revolution.”
To that end, the Indian government has also worked to install transponders on Indian fishing vessels to ensure safety at sea and real-time communication, which will also incorporate potential fishing zone forecasts to give fishermen more reliable information on fish-rich areas.
“The slipway cradle is a critical enabler for the deep-sea fleet modernization envisioned under the PMMSY,” FSI Director General Sreenath K R said. “As we encourage fishers to invest in modern, technologically advanced vessels, providing them with world-class maintenance infrastructure is paramount. This facility directly supports the objectives of PMMSY by ensuring these new assets are kept in prime operational condition, enhancing their lifespan and guaranteeing the safety of our fishers at sea.”
